The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-22
FIDLAR'S EXPERIMENT.


 as an experimentalist. If he were to read in some publication that fow ounces ot soft soap applied to d knot- hole in board would confer St. Vitus' dance upon the first bay steer that happened to come along, he would immediately give up all other em- ploymeDt and apply the soap, Sey- cral days ago, while reading little book which promises to cure forget fulness by association of ideas, he came across the following statement "Peo- pie who are constantly annoyed by forgetting the time of day when It may be necessary to remember Ii In order to catch train, may easily cure themselves by imagining that they see skeleton clock on the visagc of every man whom they meet. This, observed for few days, will become SO habitlal that the time which 1 they wish to remember will be con stantlv before them"
 "That is an excellent idea" said ] Fidlar as he put the book aside. ''lt 1 is an idea advanced solely for the bcne- fl of man; anal. unless ideas are ad- vanced for the good of man, they arc unworthy of mans notice. If there is anything that worries me, IL is just such forgeifulness. I'll put this happy idea into execution morrow morn ing"
 During the night the idea took such strong hold of his fancy that he found il quite an easy matter to asso- ciate every face with T clock. This pleased him very much, and as he walked along the street, he could not help laughing at some of the odd time pieces which he met. 4 bright and beautifully jeweled watch would be followed by great, coarse clock with red dial-thc antique Chinese time keeper and the African chr0nomctcr would hurry past. Pretty soon he began to forget his business. He had a halffaded recollection ofan appoint mcni with some one, but just as he was about to turn with view of meeting the engagement, an old fashioned clock. dressed in brown jeans, came along. A warm stream of recollection began to pour over Fidlar. How often on the farm had he seen the old clock In the kitchen There was he same grim old face, which, in a halfcomicai yet earnest enough way, had told him that it was time to hitch up his horses and go to blowing. How often had he held lighted match near its face late at night, when, after mischievous maraudipg, he had slipped into the kitchen 10 get something to eat. The scampcring rat which fright cned him SO disturbed not the placid ] tick tack tick tack of the faithful yet relentless old time piece. q! am delighted To zee you p Fidlar exclaimed. "There have been many changes since you stood in our kitchen, but warrant that you are just as true as if you were trimmed with gold
 1 The old fellow stopped, gazed curi- ously at Fidlar and, slowly shaking his head, remarked
 If you ain't blamed fool l never seed one"
 Fidlar, startled into recollection of himself, replied
 "My dear sir, yon must pardon me. I have been musing, which regret to say is an absorbing habit of mine {; and, upon seeing you, was reminded of an old clock which my father used ] to own.'
 1 "W'y, snatch yore outlandish pie tur', is thar anything about me that 1 looks like a clock? You don't know who you're caperin' with. My names Feb Harkrider, that married one Q the gals that lived in the persimmon l bushes"
 "I say, MT. Harkrider, I-" 1 "You didn't say Mir. Harkrider. You lowed that l wuz one O these l xro.a x.ld kixnh;x, olooka